Shenandoah herald. [volume] (Woodstock, Va.) 1865-1974, 1887-11-18
A North Carolina BlOCl Arden
THE FIRST HUSBAND TURNS UP TO
FIND HIS WIFE THE COMPANION
OF A SECOND.

FIND HIS WIFE THE COMPANION
OF A SECOND.
A Raleigh IN. C.) correspondent
relates the following: A very
strange story recently came to
light here through Senator Kope
Elias, of Jackson county, the most
remote county of North Carolina,
and IN area as large as some OF the
States of the Union. In 1862 a
stalwart mountaineer OF Jackson
county named Hamrick, who up to
that time had managed to avoid
the war, brought a buxom wife
with him from Swain county into
Jackson, and made his home in a
quiet cove in the Cherokee reser-
vation. The pair were devoted,
and the wife experienced all the
delights OF thoroughly primitive
existence.
Now there was a regiment OF
Cherokees in the Confederate ser.
vice, and one day an officer of this
regiment stumbled upon HsmrIck
IN the cove, conscripted him and
hurried him to the front. His wife
next heard OF him with the Confed.
crate army of Northern Virginia.
She got one or two letters and
messages from him, and finally
these stopped. In 1864 the wife,
TO whom a pair Of twins, a boy and
girl had been born, learned that
her husband had disappeared {:
that after his name on the roll OF
the company was only the dread
tul entry "missing.n
In 1866, when the war had end.
ed, the wife received the intelli-
gence that her husband had desert
ed and gone oyer to the enemy.
Year after year passed, but she
heard nothing of him. Then WOO
ers came, for "the widow" as she
was known, was pretty and agree.
able. One patient lover, named
Bowers, after haying been rejected
three times, won, and he and the
widow we're married in 1876. He
brought his effects to his wite's
home in the cove. For ten years
the couple lived happily together.
One bright June day a stranger
came to Bowers home in the cove
The place was in most respects
like it was in 1863, for changes in
the mountain wilds are made slow
". Bowers was not at home. The
wife was now a buxom woman OF
forty, far tidier in appearance and
with much more natural grace and
sprightliness of manner than the
average woman of that section,
The stranger asked who lived
there. He was told "the Bowers
family" and in a hospitable man.
ner was asked into the house.
where presently came in to the
mother two children, one OF slS
and the other of nine years. Al
dinner time the family received
two more additions, young man
and woman about % years OF age
and exceedingly alike in face and
manner. The stranger asked
.sWho are these n "They are Ham
ricks,r was the reply. "My chll
dren by my first husband" the wife
explained further.
In halt an hour the wife had told
her whole story aud the mystery
surrounding the disappearance ol
her first husband. Just as she
was concluding, Bowers came in
with a neighbor. Explanations
followed and the stranger proved
to be the woman's first husband
He had deserted, had gone to the
Northwest, and from there hoated
into Mexico and had been amid
such hardships that he had mol
been able to return, and he owned
that for a long time he had mo-
desired 10 return, but anxiety a.
to the fate OF his wife, and remorse
together, had compelled him t
bunt her up. The nelghbors heard
all this and witnessed the scene
or it is probable the whole atfal
would have been lost to the pup
lie. Hamrlck, after his much ex
perience with the world, was mucl
brighter than his wife or secont
husband. He knew that the woman
was legally his wife. He talked
the matter over quietly with Bow
ers. The woman hustled about
much agitated. She said she hat
a warm place IN her heart Tor he
first husband, but she thought sh'
liked her second. "Whateve
YOU all say must do, that will
do.r she said. III only want to d'
my duty"
Hamrick agreed that 1t was hi
: duty to 60 away, and after one o
two days friendly sojourn Wit
them he told them good bye an
left for the Northwest, telling then
that he would not come bsc
again. The wife cried when d
left, but she was satisfied that sh
q had done her duty. In that VIII
, section the matter was the suolec
of a little gossip around distllIer
fires of the mountain fastnesse'
and then the matter died ont unit
vendetta recently caused 1t